As a songwriter, well, a writer, in general, I pay very close attention to the lyrics of the music to which I listen. Growing up, I had no idea what I was repeating when my sister and I would belt out songs into a little red tape recorder. Thank goodness for karaoke or we would still think that in “Careless Whisper,” and “Take on Me,” George Michael and the lead singer of A-Ha had gone to Tennessee. (I will sing it for you later if you need to know how we came up with that one). Anyway, it is important to pay attention to what we sing, especially when we are singing to the Lord. I am by no means knocking any songs or songwriters; it is just that sometimes when I listen to songs, I really analyze the lyrics. Like in the classic, “Walk with Me, Lord,” the lyrics say, “While I’m on this tedious journey, I want Jesus to walk with me.” I understand the intent behind the lyrics, but I believe that today many of us are just taking it a little too literally, asking God along for the ride and not really wanting to walk with Him. I think many people, including myself, at times, just want God to come with us and fix the mistakes along the way rather than having Him lead the journey.Do you let Jesus take the lead? Be honest with yourself. When we give God all of the control, we do not really know where He is leading us; it could be to some place that is unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, we should know that if He leads us there, it is for our own good. I read a bumper sticker once that said, “If God is your co-pilot, SWITCH SEATS!” God should be leading us as we walk with Him. I cannot promise that the journey will be any less tedious, but it will be successful. Ms. EV

When I wrote and published Pray While You’re Prey, I thought it would be the key to my success. I figured it would bring me financial freedom, forever-lasting fame, and foster feelings of affection from suitors worldwide. I had a few visions of grandeur; don’t judge me. It was always my intention to keep God first and foremost in my endeavor, but somewhere along the line, I started making decisions and asking God about them afterward, which is very obviously not the right way to go. At the time, however, I did not see that I was leaving God out of the very gift He had bestowed upon me. I felt as if He wanted to use my testimony and the talent He had given to me for writing and public speaking to reach the masses, so that is what I aimed to do. Because I was caught up in being a commercial success, I never stopped to realize how God used my testimony. I considered what I had done to be a failure. I gave up because the book did not produce my desired results. I did not stop to think or ask if it had produced God’s desired results. People kept asking when I would write another book and what my next project would be, but I did not feel like I could succeed at anything. An unsuccessful marriage, short-lived law career, and not being invited to be in Oprah’s Book Club left me feeling like nothing that I would do would ever matter. Feeling like a failure led to other behaviors for which I am not proud, but thank God that when He has a path for you, He will pick you up and put you back on that path with a better understanding of Who is in control. In an attempt to please other people, I tried to write another book. I followed the same format as the first one. I looked at Scriptures that spoke to me. I wrote an outline. I started writing. I pitched it to publishers and literary agents and got rejection after rejection. I could not understand why God would give me a gift and not let me use it. The truth of the matter is, God gives me plenty of opportunities to use my gifts and talents, but when I do not see their usefulness, I feel like a flop, which is right where the devil wants me. Because the devil knows that my ego is so big that I am unlikely continue on a journey if I am not getting some sort of accolades. But, this is not about me. Have you ever noticed that when you are not doing what God calls you to do you feel miserable? Not only do you feel miserable, but a lot of times, you want everyone around you to be miserable as well? So, I asked, “God, how do you want me to use what you have given me?” He replied, “Just write.” I responded, “But,”--because you know we like to throw those “buts” in there when God gives us an assignment; am I right, Moses--“Lord, nobody wants to read or hear what I have to say. It seems like a waste of time and effort.” He said, “I want to see what you have to say. Does anything else matter?” That was the problem. Everyone else’s opinion mattered more to me than what God desired. When the psalmist wrote, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I thought, “Yes, please. Lord, I love you. So, I’ll take a Christian male about six-foot-six, a writing and singing career, and a mansion with maid service, for the win!” That is so not what that verse means. That verse means that when you get in sync with God, His desires for you become you desires. You start to understand that regardless of the outcomes you see in front of you, there is a greater plan at work; the Master’s Plan. He doesn’t need your help, but He will use it if you are a willing vessel. So, I started writing as I was instructed. I honestly didn’t think that I would have something to say, but nearly every day, there is something on my heart to say. At times, that old, ugly monster of discouragement tries to bring me down by saying, “No one reads what you write, no one listens to your music, and no one cares, so why are you doing this?” My response, “Because my Daddy said so.” And, the Lord knows that I need encouragement, so every once in awhile, He lets me see His gifts to me reach someone that I do not know or did not think was paying attention. But it is not about me getting attention; it is about me giving God glory. It is about letting others know how He has surrounded me with loving people and life-changing experiences. If you know what your gift is, just use it to His glory because nothing else matters. If you do not know what your gift is, just ask God to enlighten you. He wants to use us as vessels for His greater works, but we can only be used when He is the center of our focus. Ms. EV

Have you ever wondered why God gave us rules? Do you think it is a matter of controlling us and keeping us in line? If so, then why give us free will? Why not just make us all robots that do the right thing all the time? I have to admit that sometimes I wish God had made me a submissive robot that never does anything wrong; it would have saved me from A LOT of guilt and shame. But, because He is a loving God, He allows us to freely serve Him and to choose to worship Him. When I talk to people who are not Christians about why they are not saved, sometimes I hear because there are too many rules to follow. If you read the Bible, you will note that there are practices that Christians are commanded to do and others that we are commanded to abstain from doing. All of it really boils down to two commands, “Love the Lord, your God, with everything you have,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Following these two rules alone will help us continue to do right and refrain from doing wrong. The rules are in place so that we can live lives that bring God glory and so that we will not hurt ourselves and others. As my parents always said, “They are for your own good.” If you do not believe me, break a few of God’s commands and see how that works out for you. Trust me, I have been there, done that, got a T-shirt, keychain, and a coffee mug. Why would I callously break rule that I know are for my own good because, when I was younger, they seemed like major burdens. I know I am not alone. Some Christians act as though they are literally bound by the chains of righteousness. It seems as though living a holy life means that we cannot have any fun. Not long ago, I told a friend that I was going to write a book called, “Christian Girls Do That?” Whenever someone sees me having fun it seems counterintuitive for them to be able to believe that I am a Christian. Apparently, most people think that in order to live a good, Christian life, one must be frigid and boring. But, I like to have a good time and I believe that the God who loves me and created me wants me to have a jubilant life within certain limits that He has placed for my own good. Christians can have fun while following God’s commands. Think about it. Would you rather take a job where everyone got their jobs done while being bland and looking bored, or where the office was productive and the people were pleasant. I think most people would choose the latter, unless you are a glutton for punishment, so when we live as a daily witness, we should not act as though God’s commands are a burden. We need to show how they are a blessing, and then, we can win souls for Christ and not scare people away from Him. Ms. EV

I have addressed how it feels to hear gratitude for things that we have done earlier in the month in my blog, Appreciation. But, what about those times when you have not done anything that is particularly special. How do we help ourselves or each other get up on those days when we are feeling down? The answer is encouragement. See, appreciation is generally about something that we have already done in the past, but encouragement is about who we are right now, and what we are capable of in the future. I believe that God gave us each other, so that we could lift each other up, but we have become accustomed to tearing each other down to make ourselves feel better and to advance our own agendas. We have to stop that. The first step in encouragement is to see people as God sees them. He sees us as works in progress, made in His image with limitless potential. We are so quick to point out faults and flaws; not only in other people, but also in ourselves. Learn to see the positive. This does not mean to ignore those things that can be improved, but to accept the person before you right now (even if that person is you) and to surrender those places that need to be molded to God. Next, we have to trust and know that God has an individual plan for each one of us, so there is no need to be envious of how He moves in another person’s life. There have been many times that I have judged other people’s lives. I could not understand how God could bless them in their current state. I have also had people tell me that they were jealous of my life. The bottom line is, what God does in anybody else’s life is none of our business. All we need to know is that wherever God chooses to take us is His plan for our best life. So, once we get past what others have that we don’t have and whether or not they deserve it, we can become exhorters rather than exhausters to others and ourselves. It does not cost anything to speak a kind word. We do not have to wait until someone does something nice for us to uplift them. We do not have to wait until we reach all of our goals to have a boost of confidence in ourselves. If God is the center of your focus, it is not difficult to encourage those He loves. By practicing encouragement, the life you improve just may be your own. Ms. EV

I love rain. Well, I love rain if I am inside of a building and I don’t have outside plans. A good steady rain is like the perfect sleep symphony. You hear the raindrops tapping against the windows in a perfect rhythm that could only be God’s design. The sky darkens to a grayish shade. I am hard-pressed to stay awake in an overcast setting with that melodic sound. While rain, in actuality, feels harmless, and maybe even relaxing, again when you are inside, a storm brings up a whole other set of feelings. When you add thunder and lightning, tornado warnings, and power outages to the rain, it is not so great anymore. When I looked at the weather this morning, it described Tropical Storm Debby as a stalled storm. The meteorologists are not sure how long this storm will hover over our area. All they know is that it is unpredictable and slow-moving. When I read that, I thought, “That sounds like some of the storms in my life: unpredictable and slow-moving.” When the rain first started yesterday, we were inside, so it was the perfect soundtrack to a nap. Before most storms, it seems like everything is alright. During the periods in our lives where the rain is still peaceful, we should take the opportunities that God gives us to rest. I am not saying sleep all day; however tempting that might be, but rest in Him. We should read His Word, listen to His voice and meditate on what God has for us, so that when the storm comes, and it will come, we are prepared for it. Being well-rested is key to surviving a storm because you never know how long it will take to ride through the storm. After the peaceful rain came the lightning and thunder. Have you ever watched lightning? I think lightning is beautiful…from faraway of course. It just seems to form these cracks in the sky and then there is a bright light through the darkness that exposes everything around for a brief second. In our spiritual storms, when the lightning comes, we start to crack open and be exposed. Those insecurities and indiscretions in our lives are exposed, even if only for a brief moment. There is enough of this amazing light to show the parts of us that we did not even realize were hidden. The lightning reveals enough to trigger the thunder. Sometimes it sounds like loud shouting and sometimes like quiet rumblings. In either case, it is like all of the voices that vie for our attention. Some are louder than others. Can we drown out the negative long enough to hear the positive? Can we silence the know-it-alls long enough to listen to the One who knows it all? Following the lightning and thunder, we were subject to a tornado warning. If only we would heed the tornado warnings in our spiritual storms. You know, that feeling in the pit of your belly that tells you that everything is about to spin completely out of control. There are actions we can take during the warning to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of a tornado, but once we get caught up in a whirlwind of disobedience or deception or despicable behavior, it is too late to minimize the damage and destruction. Usually in these storms, where it is heavy rain, tornado or hurricane, there is a power outage. I cannot stand a power outage. It is during those times that you realize just how much you rely on being plugged into a power source. Sure many items can run on batteries, but if the battery runs out before the power comes back on, those items are useless. The same thing happens in a spiritual storm. Perhaps, we feel plugged in to God’s power until we are tossed around a bit. Then, like Job, we are wondering where God has gone. He has not gone anywhere, and the good news is that we can plug into Him anytime we want to, even in the midst of a storm. He is waiting for us to reach out to Him. We know that in life there will be storms. There will be tests and trials that come to make us stronger and more prepared to face the next challenge. Nonetheless, the storms in our lives maybe unpredictable and slow-moving like this tropical storm we are experiencing right now. Coach and I broke up almost four years ago. At the time, I thought we would get back together when we had a chance to calm down. We did not, and I have not been on a date since our last date (some of which has to do with my elevated values, but I do not get asked a lot). Four years ago, I did not think that I would still be very single and not even close to having a family of my own. Four years ago, if I had known where I would be right now, I probably would have broken down even more than I did. So, thank God, I did not know because that version of me would not have been able to handle the news that I would not be married and have a baby by 35. However, over four years, my relationship with Christ, through this stalled storm, has grown closer than ever. I have come to understand that God truly knows what is best for me and He will keep me in the midst of the storm. Though it may not feel like it, all storms can bring a blessing, even when they are stalled storms. Just hold on to faith, rest in God, explore what He exposes, listen to His voice, heed His warnings, and plug in to His power. Your stalled storm has nothing on your Savior. Ms. EV

A roadblock is barrier or barricade on a road, especially one set up by the authorities. They can be intentionally placed because of construction or an accident, or they can be the result of something outside of anyone’s control like a fallen tree or a sink hole. In either case, when you meet a roadblock, you have to decide what to do. There are usually two options we are left pondering while we sit in traffic headed toward the impending obstruction of our route. Turn back around and wait for a better time to complete your mission or take a detour and complete the mission (just not in the way we had envisioned). When you are actually driving, the choice may be clearer, depending on purpose of your trip in the first place. However, in the figurative sense, when you are faced with a roadblock on the path to your goals, the choice between turning around and taking a detour is a very serious choice. If you turn around, does it show a lack of faith or does it show that you are being cautious about where you are headed and when you might get there? If you choose a detour, does it signify perseverance, a win-at-all-costs attitude and determination or does it signify a lack of faith when you decide to call an audible (sorry, I miss football) and take another route so you can get to where you think you deserve to be. This is not something that we can take lightly. I am known to analyze and overanalyze every decision I make. I plan my spontaneity. It does not even matter what type of decision it is: relationships, financial, career, ministry; if I hit a roadblock, I am taking whatever amount of time it takes to decide the next course of action. Even if it means sitting in proverbial traffic with people honking at me about what I should be doing, I will pray and consider my options carefully. It is not out of a lack of faith; it is because I want to be sure of whether God is saying no, go, or take it slow. Sometimes, we think God is taking us in one direction, but He has another plan. Sometimes He needs to get our attention because we have taken His plan and put our own spin on it. Whatever the case, the roadblock is there for a reason. Maybe God wants to know how deeply you want to reach this goal. Maybe you’ve been barreling full steam ahead and have not stopped to assess whether or not you are still on God’s path for you. Maybe God wants to know how deeply you want Him. The only way to know the reason is to go to God and ask Him what He would have you do. Notice I said ask God, not your parents or your pastor or your friends. If God wants you to hear from those people, He will make it so, but depend on Him to answer the question. At times, that answer will come instantly and clearly; other times, you will have to wait. But, whatever the answer and whenever it comes, and whoever delivers the message, it will be what is best for you. A roadblock is not the opportunity for you to quit; it is the chance for you to quiet your mind and seek God’s direction. Ms. EV

I have been having a great time recording and promoting Worth Dying For and planning the rest of the project, Relationship Advice. I finally feel like I am doing what God would have me to do with the gifts of writing and singing that He has given me. I fell in love with writing in the tenth grade. I was never much of a reader, especially of anything that was very long. But, I love writing. In high school and early on in college, I wrote a lot of poems. Well, I wrote one song in high school called, “If I Were a Tree.” It was not a commercial success, but it was a hit with my family and friends. “If I were a tree…I would have some leaves…and some acorns…” and it went on to describe the characteristics I would and would not want if I were a tree. It was not my best work, but it was the start of something. When, I got out of college, I put together a demo tape called, Brains and Beauty (I told you the other day that I was super conceited). Anyway, it featured the potential smash, “Bye Bye Baby,” a bitter ode to ex-boyfriends that I recorded in a local studio and another song that I cannot even remember, plus all of the lyrics that I had written at that point. I thought that if the right person heard it I was sure to be a superstar! My parents got me a four-track recorder for my 21st birthday and I started making a cappella songs. Some were great, some were not great. The first song I was truly proud of was the one I wrote when my Aunt Shebra passed away in 1998 after a brave battle with multiple sclerosis. When I got the call, all I could do was cry and write. My Aunt Shebra was a real singer/songwriter, she played the guitar, and she was awesome. After her memorial, I heard some of the songs she and her friends composed and it truly inspired me. I wrote a song for my wedding, and recorded an a cappella wedding march. I wrote a couple of songs in law school. I tried to learn how to play the piano to put music to my lyrics, but it was too hard and I quit. After I had a pretty significant collection going, I copyrighted the songs I had. For the next few years, I wrote songs here and there. I even took my collection to a gospel conference where I was speaking and tried to get other artists to use them. But, I could never get the right person’s attention. I wanted someone else to take the reins and make my music and my dreams come alive. Because, no one did, I essentially gave up. And, two years after I gave up in my heart, my computer crashed and I lost most of my music collection, plays and poetry that I had written. (Remember computer users: Jesus saves and so should you...it's a joke, I'll tell you later if you want to hear it). At that point, I thought it was a sign from God that giving up was the right choice. Over the last few years, I have lost two very close friends and my grandmother, one of my best friends. Those events sent me into a spiral of evaluating and sometimes over-evaluating what I had and had not done over the course of my life. At first, that resulted in a mild depression. I thought because I had not “been discovered,” I was destined to be used by God and I had made so many wrong turns that God didn’t want me as a witness for Him. But then, one day, I woke up. I cannot even pinpoint the day, but I started writing again. I started recording the melodies, so that I would not forget them. Then, I became determined to learn an instrument, so that I would have more than just melodies. I chose the guitar this time. So, after some long conversations with God about what I should do, I decided to take a leap and really, seriously record the music that God has given me. And, I mean given me, when I started learning guitar, I thought it was a lost cause, but within three weeks, I was putting chords with songs. Now, of course, there had to be an attack. When, I realized how easily this new skill set was being learned, I thought, “I should have done this a long time ago.” When I heard the finished product of Worth Dying For, I thought, “I should have done this a long time ago.” I shared those thoughts with my mom and she told me I can’t dwell in the past. I replied, “You’re right. Yesterday is never gonna happen again. All we can do is move forward.” Focusing on an audience of one, God, diving into the talents, that He has given me, and trusting that He knows what it best when it comes to those gifts has been a long time coming. I could feel guilty for not doing it sooner, but as Dr. Phil says, “Guilt is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” So, sorry devil, I won’t be looking back at the past, or to the sides at other people. I will be looking up to the hills from which comes my Help (Psalm 121) and looking forward to where God is guiding me. I am not sure what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. Ms. EV

Okay, so it usually isn’t so grammatically correct, it usually goes more like, “God don’t like ugly.” You know, when someone is not giving you your way, “God don’t like ugly.” When someone who has been rude gets their just desserts, “God don’t like ugly.” When you were a little kid, being a brat and your parent warned you, “God don’t like ugly.” But, the other day, I was reading about Leah in the Bible, and I started to question whether or not this statement, “God don’t like ugly,” that we throw around as gospel is really true. I have no idea what Leah looked like as there were no cameras or sketch artists back then. All I know is that every time I hear about Leah, she just wasn’t as attractive as Rachel (at least, not to Jacob). And, she must not have been to her father either, as Laban, under darkness of night, passed her off as her sister, Rachel to Jacob. I’m not sure what Leah thought of it whether she was grateful to her father for helping her get a man or whether she felt deeply insecure that her father had to trick a man into marrying her. Imagine waking up from your honeymoon night, and your new husband says, “Seriously, Laban! What the heck? I didn’t want this one! I want the pretty one! I’ll work another seven years for Rachel.” Okay, so maybe I took a little creative license there, but you get the gist. Amazingly, and this is not a man-bashing statement just the truth of what actually happened, Jacob loved Rachel so much more, but had no problem having babies with her sister, Leah. Many people would say, “Well, that’s just how they did things back then.” True enough, but notice how Leah kept having Jacob’s babies hoping that he would love her more than her barren sister. That is something that still happens today. We, yes I am including myself, sometimes throw ourselves at men who do not want us, and give them all our goodies (whether we are trying to get pregnant or not), in the hopes that they will fall in love. NEWSFLASH: It didn’t work for Leah and it still doesn’t work. You might get a baby, but that does not guarantee you will get your boo. Back to the, “God don’t like ugly” statement. In The Message Bible, it says, “Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel was stunningly beautiful.” It sounds like one of those compliments where you are searching for something nice to say. “Oh, your…hair is so cool.” “I really like your…dress.” “You are so…sweet.” Poor Leah, whether she actually was unattractive or not, she had to feel unappealing and we know she was unloved because the Bible says that is why God opened her womb. Now, here is the great part, not only did God open her womb, but He used her wounds, the ugly part of her life; having children for a man that would never love her. Leah had Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. All of those names should sound familiar, but the last one, Judah, which means Praise God, is the line from which Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior came. Outer beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you ask ten people what beauty is, you will get ten different answers. I know that most of the time when we say, “God don’t like ugly,” we are referring to behavior. But, whether you feel unpleasant on the outside, or you are in a situation that is ugly, even if you cause the situation, God can still make something beautiful out of the situation when you surrender to His Will. God doesn’t like ugly behavior, especially if it is malicious, but He can and will use it for His glory. There are many examples of that throughout the Bible. Ms. EV

I have a hard time sometimes finding a happy medium between two characteristics. I have, and still do sometimes, find it complicated to find the place between pride and insecurity. When I was younger, I did not feel very pretty (although, looking back, I was pretty cute; I just had no fashion sense). As I got older, the pendulum swung way too hard to the other side, as I began really feeling myself to the point of conceit. Eventually, there was a medium that naturally occurred and resulted in confidence that I am who God made me to be. I embraced my looks, my shape, my hair, and all of the other characteristics that bothered me as a child, but I did not expect everyone to recognize how fly (do we still use this word) I am and fall all over me. I have come to realize that it was never really about my looks per se, it is about my love for attention. I am not sure when I developed the affinity for attention, but being the center of attention often gives me an adrenaline rush that is very gratifying. The problem is that, at a certain point, I started to rely on the natural high that getting attention gives, so rather than complete tasks because it is something that I love that God has led me to do, I would achieve for applause. Realizing that I have a tendency to follow this pattern has caused me to be extremely cautious when I take on a new venture. I have to really pray and look within to determine whether I am taking a course of action because God told me to or because it will give me a chance to impress people. So, when someone does try to recognize an accomplishment; it becomes very difficult for me to take the compliment because I do not want to get caught up in the praise; I just want to stay on the path for my purpose. It feels good to be recognized, but that should not be our only motivation for working hard. While we do not want to have people give us praise that belongs to God, we should also give them the opportunity to praise God for what He does in and through us. Humility and insecurity are not one in the same. We have to stay humble while allowing God to use others to propel us to the heights that He has for us. I am really talking to myself here, but I have a feeling that I am not the only person who has this struggle. God wants to do great things through us, and, to that end, He has given each of us a specific purpose and design. We have to find the place between pride and insecurity that allows us to reach our greatest potential, so that through our success, God can receive the glory. Ms. EV

In my post-Mother’s Day blog, I promised a blog dedicated to my dad for Father’s Day. It really isn’t that difficult to write about how incredible both of my parents are to me. I think that next to my salvation, I am most grateful for the parents with whom God has blessed me. I do not know if there is such a thing as a perfect parent, but mine come pretty close. Now, don’t get me wrong, my dad and I have and do bump heads, as most children do from time to time with their parents, but, regardless of the times we may disagree, my earthly daddy is a true reflection of my Heavenly Daddy. And, that my friends, is a blessing. First of all, my dad shows me how a woman should be treated. I have not always realized the treasure of having a father who loves my mother, is her best friend, and would do anything for her. Growing up, I thought everybody’s dad loved their mom they way my dad loves my mom. But, as I came to know more about the world, I found that having parents who loved each other deeply is a rare occurrence. I also found that having a father who is unafraid to be the leader of his own household is somewhat scarce. If someone comes into my life that loves me a fraction of how much my dad loves my mom, I will be tremendously blessed. My daddy also taught us how to laugh. Just last night, I left my parents’ house with a sore face from laughing. Most people who meet my dad think that he is really serious. He can be very intense and fiercely passionate about that in which he believes, but he also encourages a sense of humor. There are times when it sounds like we have our own distinct language because we can’t talk with a giggle. My dad is a disciplinarian, for sure, but his chastisement is tempered by the fact that you always know (maybe not in that moment, but eventually), that all he wants is what is best for you and that even in intense situation, he can still make you smile, even when you don’t want to smile. Furthermore, my parents know Christ and introduced us to Christ. Not only that, but they also both show us how to live a Godly life. One of my biggest regrets in life is always taking a long time to listen to my dad on certain issues like saving money. He is always full of great advice because he knows the Godly principles to living a prosperous life. He always wants to fix things, but is willing to let us figure out our own course. My pastor often says that God speaks to us in familiar voices. When I am going down a treacherous road or am about to make a perilous decision, I hear my dad’s voice. Anyone who knows him knows that he has a deep, booming voice (we often refer to him as Mufasa). I have no idea what God actually sounds like, but in my heart, he has my dad’s voice, and it is enough to stop me in my tracks. We sometimes tease dad because it seems like he is this perfect person that never did anything bad as a child or a teenager. We say he doesn’t understand the situation in which we place ourselves because he was always “an angel.” I pretended to be a goody two shoes for a long time, but my dad is the real deal. And, I thank God for it. I am eternally grateful for my dad’s obedience to God and for his unrelenting desire to have everyone else do the same. Often, when we do something of note, dad says, “Hey! You’re a chip off the old block.” Well, in my humble opinion, my dad is a chip straight off of God’s block. He is the best dad a girl could ever want. Ms. EV